MIX CHALLENGE - MC093 August 2023 - Winners announced

[Mister Fox]

Welcome to the forum, @Gaz.

I appreciate the positive words. However, I can only answer general technical aspects for each challenge. The rest is up to you (the Song Provider).


Looking forward to the entries as well.

[Christoph_K]

https://www.dropbox.com/s/wjt6d297a2ev8 ... K.wav?dl=0

A very big thank you @Gaz for providing this awesome tracks for this challenge. It was a real pleasure to mix it!

I used a mixing template with the parallel processors (Fed, K+SN Punch, 1176, Boiler, Zener, Portico and Tchad Drums) and the mixbus (SSL G Bus, Chandler Limited Compresor, Shadow HIlls Mastering Comp, Curve Bender, Studer 800) from the Brauerize Template without the ABCDE Busses. I tried out the new Nautilus DSCEQ on the mixbus in the first slot and liked it. I also used the Studer 800 on all tracks and LUNA API Summing. I used the Polarizer on Carioid for the vocal tracks. Many tracks use the Eventide TVerb.

DRUMS
Soundradix Autoalign 2
Oxford Drum Gate on Kick and Snare
Kramer PIE and RBass on toms, ZenerLimiter in Parallel, Bricasti Room
OH with UAD Fatso
Cymbal Scrapes with Arturia Comp TUBE-STA
Softube SSL4k on all channels
Summed to a bus with Standard Clip to cut back the transients
A parallel Bus with API2500 and InstantFlanger for some transitions
I created a heavy Drum Crush Parallel Bus with the API2500, ProQ3, DevilLoc Deluxe, Scheps Omni Channel 2 and Kiieve Tape Face

BASS
Soundradix Autoalign 2
RS124 on the DI
All four tracks are routed to 2 Channels with Softube SSL9k, one for the neck tones and one for the body and low-end with UAD Avalon VT-737 and BlackBox HG.

ACOUSTIC GTR
UAD Fairchild 670, Blackbox HG
SSL9k

ELECTRIC GTR
API550A, LA3A
SSL9k
Spring, Echos, Verbs

ORGAN
ODR-1 for some distortion and Waves Kaleidoscope in the second part
UAD CultureVulture
SSL9k

PIANO
LA3A
BX Focusrite with different settings for left and right
SSL9k

SYNTH
SSL9k

BVs
De-esser
All summed to a Zener Limiter
SSL4k
URSA Spacestation for size
The track with the additional mix elements go through the ZenerLimiter and the InstantFlanger MK2.

YELPS
SSL LMC+
Summit Audio TLA-100A
Arturia Rev Plate-140
SSL9k
Lots of Verbs and Echo

LEADVOCALS
There where some audible edits in the breaths and I tried to repair them where necessary.
Weiss Deesser
Waves MV2
Tube-Tech CL 1b mk II
Tube-Tech Equalizers mk II
MJUC
Valhalla Shimmer for the transition
SSL4k
Ampex Slapback
UAD Capitol Chambers
UAD480L on some parts

The RX Vox goes through the InstantFlanger MK2 and the SSL LMC+
SSL4k

https://www.dropbox.com/s/wjt6d297a2ev8 ... K.wav?dl=0

[mahzinho]

Link to my entry: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1A7w0Py ... sp=sharing

Pianos near & far treated with automation for near & Fruity Limiter (compressor settings) & Parametric 2, so created a group for them (bus) with the transient shaper Trans-X by Waves, more Parametric 2 and reverb (slight) + Fruity Limiter as a side-chain compressor to the vocals part and sent the bus to the "COMP_BUS_#1" for paralell compression with H-Comp (stereo), detail that piano far for the right; The other pianos levels adjustments and panning.

Tambourine levels adjustment and Fruity Limiter as compressor settings;

Bass part I used "Distructor" for the DI, automated the condenser one with Parametric 2 settings and Fruity Limiter again as compressor, bass dyn & oct Parametric 2 usage only.

Cymbal scr I solely used levels adjustments

Toms: Floor < 32 & Rack 30 > linked to a bus with Fruity Limiter into limiter mode & splitted Floor in 3 for levels adjustments on the playlist.

Kick part linked them to a bus and used Trans-X Multi Mono & Fruity Limiter as a compressor and Parametric EQ 2 again.

Snare untouched + sent to a reverb bus with Parametric EQ 2 & Fruity Reeverb 2

E-Guitars sent to a bus with Fruity Limiter as limiter & each part to a single reverb (each reverb part with Fruity delay 2 + Fruity Reeverb 2 to "enlarge" the guitars feeling)

Acoustic part sent to the latest reverb part

Mix elements just levelling

Leslie ones with Fruity Limiter on a bus as a compressor

OHs Fruity Parametric EQ 2 again Hi-passed 1678 Hz and sent to a bus I called "COMP_BUS_#2" with Trans-X Multi Stereo;

Propeths & radio levelling

Sion ones panning and levelling

Lead vox (Gaz) & lead 2 (Gaz) one with Fruity Limiter as a compressor, a little of Fruity Flangus & Parametric EQ 2 and the other none... both sent to a reverb bus & to BUS #1 about compression, also automated Lead vox (Gaz)

Frank BGV levelling & panning

3630 part is about recording through it with one personal approach about -10 of threshold, 2:1 ratio; 5 ms for attack; 150 ms for release; so I added it to the entire mix and levelled until fine approach.

Finally checked for LUFS and more info like peaks, stereo balance & DR with Expose v2.

[alavault]

Hello!
Mix: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vsJtPX ... sp=sharing
***
I changed my template to one inspired by Michael Brauer—and @Christoph_K.
In other words, a multibus setup.
***
Busses:

• A - for keys and sustaining instruments : Molot into PtEQ-X
• B - drums and bass. Tukan Dis-treasure.
• C - Guitars and similar. MJUCjr into a widener
• D - BGVs (and effects) : Molot into hyper widener
• Dry - Nothing. But still, one of the busses

Drums:

• Kick, Snare : bx-SSL 4K and ReaGate. The snare goes to a special hall with 250-ish ms of predelay. Both are routed to "punch" sends were they are compressed (dbx 160 style) and saturated.
• Toms : 4K and limiter.
• Overheads and percussions : fast attack compression and sent to room reverb.

Bass:

• Multed into low and "neck" i.e., low to high midrange.
• Bussed into OTT and a limiter. Quite crunchy.

Guitars:

• SSL 4K again for both the electric and the acoustic
• The electric is sent to bus A as well.

Piano : fast attack compression and lowpassing to darken the sound and make it more moody.
Organ and synth : distortion mostly. Shimmer on the synth in addition to widening.
BGV : panned all around. Sent into a hall to push them back.
Lead vocal: slightly tuned—compression in line and multiple parallel busses (Molot, Distreasure and MJUCjr) to make the final sound.
***
Master: Tessla into Buster into Acustica Ash into a limiter.
***
No automation.

[PauPeu]

Hello everyone! here's my take!

I approached this mix with two elements in mind, the importance of the storytelling, and the energy off the instrumental parts.
So the overall sound is quite vintage but with a touch of "full range" sound.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nXoVkR ... sp=sharing


Drums: heavy parallel compression, pumping and "in your face" style, finally added extra crunchiness with a generous touch of tape saturation.
Snare send to emt140. The eq on the bus have more presencein the low mid range (fat snare).

Bass: one of the takes is distorted and with chorus, then in the bus with the rest some EQ and a little compression.

Acoustic Guitar: the two takes wide opened then added a smiley face eq and tube saturation, send to room verb.

Piano: it carries the harmony in most of the song, so I went for a full range and pristine quality, with multiband eq and a touch of lush reverb. Also i closed 50% of the stereo field (too wide).
IMPORTANT: It seems to have some crackling noises here and there, it requires some surgical and dedicated work, I'll do it if i make it to the second round.

Organ, tube saturation and room reverb.

Electric guitar: The solo is quite in your face, with almost no reverb, I added one autopan on each track, then moved the poles so they are symmetric, also Culture vulture type saturation and a bitcrush automated for extra edginess. The last part is sent to the lush reverb.

The vox: Loud and clear, parallel compression, a touch of saturation, full range eq, de esser, ping pong delay and lush reverb.

BV: I used that typical 70's effect "ensemble", apart from the usual de essing, compression, reverb, etc..

AUXILIARS: 1 Room verb, 2 emt 140, 3 ping pong delay, 4 lush reverb.

MIXBUS: MId Side EQ, Compression and limiting, for these last two i used the sonible plugins.

Good Luck everyone!!

EDIT: I seem to have missed an intro part from the organ, and there are some piano "speaking" part that have to b deleted.

[VasDim]

Hi all,
this is my attempt to mix:

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AlnxH7wdHQB2gWNgsFD ... b?e=b7bugZ

For all track are used:
- Waves Q10;
- Waves C4;
- Db ProComp.

AUX Effect;
- Waves TrueVerb;
- Waves SuperTap;

Good luck to all.
VasDim

[Ozgen Sabuncu]

Hi everybody.

Cla mixhub for every channels insert. Some eq and compressor for every channel
Drumbus: Omnipressor and kclip
hammond bus: culture vulture dist and eq.
Ac guitar: Lindell 80 channel strip.
Elc. Guitar: overlud cmod and eq.
Vox: Cla mixhub, mv2, Cla76
Choirs:ozone nectar, Reapitch from reaper eq and comp
Piano: Eq, comp from mixhub
Mixbus: Neve8816 hardware, Emi tg preamp hardware, ssl buscomp plugin, ozone vintage limiter
Hi everybody.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1u4tWnf ... share_link

[DavidB]

Hello everyone,

This song is so cool, it was great fun working on mixing it last couple of days.
Right now I am quite satisfied with the result, but lets see in couple of days:)

I have to say I love the vibe and the story and the dynamics of the song and the way how it moves from intimate to hard and then back!

It was my first mix in Reaper and I must say that it is much better suited for this kind of work compared to Ableton. I had learned a lot this time so mission accomplished in any case:)

Here is the link to my entry: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AtpzKIYuNN-3lMdCp98 ... A?e=H03y7H

Some notes about my mix, I had tried to generally keep it simple, I had used Neve Console Waves NLS on most channels / busses to get some sauce, except for drums where I had worked with Lindell 69 on channels for eq balancing/gating.

Drum buss: Vertigo VSM-3 - I absolutely love what this thing does to drums, Neold V76U73 for glue, Bettermaker for pultec bass/highs...

Overheads soothed a bit to remove harshness - was a bit too much for my taste...

Added various levels of Arturia Plate reverb on drum channel sends...

Bass was treated with Neold V76U73 compression and put into Oven to add presence + EQ.

Acoustic Guitar - just some compression / eqing to bring up a bit of its body and filter highs and lows. Adding a bit of Arturia plate reverb

Electric Guitar - pretty much the same as acoustic. Added a but of Arturia Spring reverb on it.

Organ - comp and eq - added some dbs around 500Hz + spring reverb.

Piano - comp and eq - removed a bit around 500Hz and added around 1700Hz + Arturia plate reverb.

Synth - removed bottoms up to 200Hz and few dbs of highs, plate on that one as well.

Vocals: Interesting to use those Levitt microphones with plugin, really good option to mix front and back signals...
LV - mainly used front signal, BVs - mixed with bit of back signal as well.

LV - a bit of Neold Big Al to define it a bit more, Soothed, compressed and eqed to remove the bottoms, add high end.

BV - also Big Al, generally needed to add some highs and remove bottom from these vocals as well, added a bit of tape delay
Same goes for shouts in the dynamic parts (delay)

Vocals had Sonible Reverb on send natural setting.

Wish everyone good luck and looking forward to see results.

Best of luck to all,

David

[TheodorChatzopoulos]

MC093 / August => 48/24)
Template: MC093__Rocketgoldstar__Born_Taurus_Man__ForumUsername.wav

File Format: WAV, 48kHz, 24bit
Loudness (min/max): anything between -24,0 LUFS to -16,0 LUFS ILk, -1,00 dBT

First of all i am happy when i see that there is new mix challenge and i am proud to be here. Sorry for my English language, i cant speak very well.
My name is Theodor Chatzopoulos and my email is <removed by staff>
The rights of this song remain with Gaz Williams, Frank Naughton
and Sion Orgon

Here is my link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rAu2wZ ... sp=sharing

Drums:Pulsar 1178, EmoD5, Fab filter Q2

Snare:Fab filter Q2,Maag eq,Pulsar 1178,Goldplate, RComp,EmoD5

Overheads:Cide chain, cla 76,Fab filter mb,Rvox,Gain aim,Fab filter Q2

Bass:

Guitars:Trans x, Doubler, Fabfilter R,Fab filter Q2,Maag eq,Pulsar 1178

Piano:Api 560,Fab filter Q2,Maag eq,gain aim.

Vocals:A lot of plugins like Pulsar 1178 to achieve this analog style

Thank you.

⚠	Moderation Message from Mister Fox
	Removed the email address for security reasons and as anti-spam measurement. Unfortunately, due to the way the forum engine works, you can not edit this post anymore. Apologies for the inconvenience.

[Mastemoth]

Here is my link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rAu2wZ ... sp=sharing

I was just downloading some of the files of the competitors. Why is your file named like another user's file? Is it the wrong file?